Explosive-engine.



No. 744,881. v PATENTED NOV. 24, 1903.

H. SUHNLEIN.

EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21 1901. RENEWED SEPT, 28. 1903.

. H0 MODEL.

TH: Nonms PETERS co. PHo'ro-uma. WASHINGTON. o. c.

no. 744 ,esi.

lUnirnn dramas Patented November 24, 190? HEINRICH soI-INLEIN, orWIESBADEN, GERMANY.

EXPLOSiVE=ENGBNE SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.744,881, dated November 24:, 1903..

Application filed May 21,1901. Renewed September 28, 1903A Serial No.174,955. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HEINRICH SoHNLEIN, a subject of the Emperor ofGermany, residing at the city of Wiesbaden, in the German Empire, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Explosive-Engines; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawing, and to figures of reference marked thereon,which forms a part of this specification.

This invention has relation to explosionengines, and more particularlyto engines organized to admit a charge of explosive fluid to theexplosion-chamber of the power-cylinder during the outstroke of thepiston,to compress said charge during the instroke of said piston, andto explode the charge at or about at the completion of said instroke andknown as two-cycle engines.

In explosion-engines as generally constructed there is, as is wellknown, a liability to premature ignition and explosion of the charge ofexplosive fluid admitted to the power-cylinder, either by contact Withthe overheated walls of the engine or piston or by direct ignition fromremanent incandescent products of combustion, such premature explosionnot only interfering very materially with the operation of the engine,but being also liable to result in damage to the operative elementsthereof.

My invention has for its object the provision of means whereby thesepremature explosions are effectually avoided, and this I attain byintroducing a charge of a practically nondgnitible gaseous fluid intothe explosion-chamber of the power-cylinder in such a manner that theentering stream of gaseous fluid will be practically inclosed in anenvelop of cold air, whereby the cylinderwalls are cooled and theentering gaseous fluid kept out of contact with the cylinderwalls andwith the face of the piston,the admixture of the airand gas beingeffected by compression during the instroke of the piston; but that myinvention may be fully understood I will describe the same in detail,reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which I haveillustrated a vertical engine embodying my invention by a verticalsectional view.

As shown in the drawing, the piston 17 divides the power-cylinder intotwo chambers namely, the pumping or suction and forcing chamber 15 andthe explosion-chamber 16. About midway of its length the power-cylinderis provided with a circular row of exhaust-ports 9, opening into anannular exhaust-passage 19, in communication with an exhaust branch, towhich is secured the exhaust-pipe 20. Immediately below theexhaust-ports 9 the power-cylinder has a circular row of air-inlet ports12, opening into an annular passage 13, the air admitted to such passagebeing controlled by an inwardly opening spring-seated check-valve 14-.At its outer end the power-cylinder is provided with a second seriesofair-inlet ports 8, in communication with an air-inlet branch 23,connected by a pipe 22 with an air-chamber 6, the admission of air tosaid chamber 23 being controlled by an inwardly-opening springseatedvalve 1. A short distance above the air-inlet ports 8 the power-cylinderis connected by a passage or pipe 18 with a gaschamber 5, the admissionof gas to which is controlled by an inwardly-opening spring seated valve2.

The admission of gas to the explosion-charm ber 16 of the power-cylinderis controlled by an inwardly-opening spring-seated valve i, while airfrom chamber 6 is admitted to said explosion-chamber through an annularpassage 10 and controlled by a spring-seated valve 3, opening inwardlyinto said passage 10, which encompasses the gas-inlet port.

The tension of the springs for the valves 1, 2, 3, t, and 14 can beregulated by means of a nuton the valve-stems in a well-known manner andtherethrough the flow of fluids controlled by said valves, as will bereadily understood, and, as will be seen, the chambers 5 and 6 performthe function of receivers for gas and air, respectively.

I may here observe that in practice the ports controlled by the valves 3and t are of the same cross-sectional areas and that the valves are heldto their seats by equal pressures. 1 may also state that some or all ofthe valves may be actuated by any of the lIOO well-known mechanicalappliances instead of operating automatically without departing from theprinciple and character of my invention.

The length of the piston 17 and the location of ports 12 are so chosenthat the outer edge of said piston again uncovers ports 12 when it hasnearly reached the end of its instroke. Inasmuch as a slight vacuum willbe established in the pumping-chamber 15 by reason of the friction andresistance of the fluids in the passages and valves, atmosphericpressure will unseat Valve 14 and a certain quantity of air will flowinto said pumping-chamber through ports 12, thereby also establishingatmospheric pressure in the pumping-chamber, and consequentlyneutralizing the effect of the noxious spaces.

The operation of the engine is as follows: In the drawing the piston 17is shown at the limit of its power or out stroke, and as said pistonmakes itsinstroke the air-ports 8 are uncovered and a partial vacuum isestablished in the pumping-chamber 15, under which valve 1 opens toadmit air to said chamber. As soon as the piston 17 uncovers port 7 apartial vacuum is established in gas-receiver 5, under which valve2opens to admit gas to said receiver, and when the said piston reaches oris about to reach the limit of its instrokethe previously forcedandcompressed charge of explosive fluid is ignitedand exploded by anywell-known means-as, for instance, electrically or by a hot tubethepiston making its power or outstroke. At this moment the air-inlet valve1 and the gas-supply valve 2 close under the stress of their springs,and as the piston 17 continues its outstroke a graduall-yin creasingcompression is producedin the pumping-chamber l5, and consequently inpipe 18, gas-receiver 5, pipe 22, and air-receiver 6, the pressure inboth receivers being substantially the same until piston 17 covers port7, when further compression in gas-receiver 5 ceases, while thecompression in the air-receiver increases until the piston has reachedthe limit of its power or outstroke. Before this takes place, however,the exhaust-ports 9 are uncovered and the products of combustion escapethrough ports 9 into annular passage 19 and through exhaust-pipe 20 intothe atmosphere. The rapid exhaust of the products of combustion andtheir consequent inertia in the exhaust-pipe produce a partial vacuum inthe explosion-chamber 16, and as the piston uncovers ports 12 saidpartial vacuum causes valve 13 to move olf its seat, thereby admittingair to the explosion-chamber 16 immediately above the inner face ofpiston 17. Owing to the greater pressure in air-receiver 6, the valve 3is first unseated, and air from said receiver is admitted to theexplosionchamber 15 of the power-cylinder at its upper end through theannular passage 10,

whereby the remaining products of combustion are swept out and thecylinder-walls and inner face of the piston provided with a lining ofair, if I may so term it, into which, the gas is admitted or forcedshortly after the air-valve 3 is unseated. Inasmuch as the receiver 5contains practically pure gas, in View of the fact that but acomparatively small quantity of air flows into said receiver throughpipe 18, the mixture as it flows into the explosion-chamber 16 is notyet an explosive one, and being surrounded on all sides by pure air apremature explosion is effectually precluded. As soon as the piston 17starts on its instroke valves 3 and 4 close, ports 12 and 9 beingsuccessively covered, when compression of the charge of gas and air inthe explosion-chamber 16 begins and continues until the piston reachesor is about to reach the limit of its instroke and whereby the gas andair are thoroughly mixed into a readilyexplosible compound, which isthen ignited and exploded, the piston then making its outstroke.

Having thus described myinvention, what I declare as new therein, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. Inatwo-stroke-cyclegas-engine,the combination with theexplosion-chamber of the cylinder, the piston, exhaust-ports, andairinlct ports near one end of said chamber and controlled by thepiston; of means to admit at or substantially at the same time, gas andair into one end of said explosion-chamber and air into the opposite endthereof through the air-inlet ports and in front of the piston when ithas reached or is about to reach the end of the second stroke of thecycle, substantially as set forth.

2. In a two-stroke-cycle gas-engine,the combination with theexplosion-chamber of the cylinder, the piston, exhaust-ports andairinlet ports controlled by the piston; of means to admit at orsubstantially at the same time a stream of gas enveloped by air and alsoair at the opposite end of said chamber through the air-inlet ports andin front of the piston when it has completedor is about to complete itsoutstroke and simultaneously exhausting the products of combustionthrough the exhaust-ports during admission on one side of the column ofproducts of combustion of the combined column of air and gas, and on theopposite side of air only, substantially as set forth.

3. In agas-engine, the combination with the cylinder and its piston, ofmeans for storing air and gas separately during the outstroke of thepiston, means for compressing the stored air and gas, means admittingthe same separately under pressure to one end of the explosion-chamberof said cylinder, so that the gas will be enveloped by the air, at orbefore the beginning of the instroke of said piston, means admitting airat or about at the same time to the opposite end of said explosion-chamber and means exhausting the products of combustion at or aboutat the same time from a point intermediate of the afore- Maser saidpoints of admission, for the purpose set forth.

4. In ages-engine, the combination with the cylinder and its piston, ofmeans for storing air and gas separately during the outstroke of thepiston, means for compressing the stored air and gas and for compressingthe air to a greater degree than the gas, means admitting the sameseparately under pres sure to one end of the explosion-chamber of saidcylinder, so that the gas will be enveloped by the air, at or before thebeginning of the instroke of said piston, means admitting air at orabout at the same time to the opposite end of said explosion-chamber andmeans exhausting the products of combustion at or about at the same timefrom a point intermediate of the aforesaid points of admission, for thepurpose set forth.

5. In agas-engine, the combination with the cylinder having a series ofports intermediate its ends, and the piston controlling said ports anddividing said cylinder into an explosion and a pumping chamber; of a gasand air receiver arranged to open into said explosionchamber and alsoconnected with said pumping-chamber and arranged to be successively cutoil therefrom by the piston, whereby a greater compression is producedin the airreceiver than in the gas-receiver, for the purpose set forth.

6. In agas-engine, the combination with the cylinder provided with aseries of ports intermediate its ends, and the piston controlling saidports and dividing the cylinder into an explosion and a pumping chamber;of a gas and air receiver arranged to open into said explosion-chamberand also connected to the pumping-chamber and arranged to besuccessively cut off from the cylinder by the piston, and valvescontrolling the admission of gas and air from their receivers to the 6X-plosion-chamber, for the purpose set forth.

7. In a gas-engine, the combination with the cylinder havingexhaust-ports intermediate its ends and the piston controlling saidports and dividing the cylinder into explosion and pumping chambers; ofgas and air receivers arranged to open into said explosion-chamber andalso connected to said pumping-chamber and arranged to be successivelycut oft from the cylinder by the piston, and equally-loaded valvescontrolling the admission of gas and air from their receivers to theexplosionchamber, for the purpose set forth.

8. Inagas-engine,thecombination with the cylinder having exhaust-portsintermediate its ends, and the piston controlling said ports anddividing said cylinder into explosion and pumping chambers; of a gas andan air receiver arranged to open into said explosionchamber and alsoconnected to said pumpingchamber and arranged to be successivel cut offtherefrom by the piston and valves controlling the inlet of gas and airinto the explosion-chamber, the air-inlet surrounding the gas-inlet,whereby the inflowing gas will be surrounded by air, substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

9. In a two-stroke-cycle gas-engine, the combination with theexplosion-chamber of the cylinder; of a gas-inlet port and an air-inletport surrounding the gas-port and both opening directly into thecylinder, and automaticallyoperated valves to control said ports wherebythe jet of gas is enveloped bya column of air and protected from the hotsides of the chamber during admission to prevent premature explosion,substantially as set forth.

10. In a two-stroke-cycle gas-engine, the combination with theexplosion-chamber of the cylinder, a gas-inlet port and an air-inletport concentric therewith both axially arranged atone end of saidchamber, and independent automatically-actuated valves controlling theports, whereby the gas will be surrounded and protected by an annularcolumn of air during admission, substantially as set forth.

11. In a two-stroke-cycle gas-engine, the combination with theexplosion-chamber of the cylinder; of a gas-inlet port and an airinletport concentric therewith, both axially arranged at one end of saidchamber, and independent automatically-actuated valves c0ntr lling theports, the air-inlet valve to open before the gasport,substantially asdescribed.

12. In a gas-engine, the combination with the cylinder havingexhaust-ports intermediate its ends and the piston controlling saidports and dividing said cylinder into explosion and pumping chambers; ofa gas and an air receiver arranged to open into said explosion chamberand also. connected to said pumping-chamber and arranged to besuccessively cut off from the latter by the piston, valves controllingthe admission to the explosion-chamber of air and gas in the order namedby reason of the excess of pressure in the airreceiver which is cut offfrom the pumpingchamber later than the gas-receiver, for the purpose setforth.

13. In a gas-engine, the combination with the cylinder havingexhaust-ports intermediate its ends, air-inlet ports beyond saidexhaust-ports and a valve controlling the admission of air to saidinlet-ports, and the piston controlling both sets of ports and dividingthe cylinder into explosion and pumping chambers; of an air and gasreceiver provided with back pressure inlet-valves, both said receiversin communication with the explosionchamber, valves controlling ports forthe admission of air and gas to said explosion-chamher, said portsarranged to deliver the gas enveloped by air and the gas protected fromthe piston by a stratum of air from the airports controlled by saidpiston, for the purpose set forth.

14. In a gas-engine, the combination with the cylinder havingexhaust-ports intermediate its ends, air-inlet ports beyond saidexhaust-ports, the piston controlling both sets of ports and dividingsaid cylinder into explosion and pumping chambers, means for admittingair through said ports to the explosion-chamber at or about at thecompletion of the outstroke of the piston by reason of the partialvacuum produced by the inertia of the exhausting products of combustion,and for admitting air to the pumping-chamber at or about at thecompletion of the instroke of said piston by reason of the partialvacuum produced in the last-named chamber; of an air and a gas receiverconnected to said pumping-chamber and arranged to be successively cutoff therefrom by the piston, valves con- HEINRICH soHNLEIN.

Witnesses:

TH. VOIGT, W. EIFERT.

